Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 19
Seoul
〜ならいざしらず/〜はいざしらず ・ 〜てみせる ・ 何しろ ・ とりわけ
In this lesson, you will learn to set an easier case aside and say yours is different with 〜ならいざしらず and 〜はいざしらず, to promise you will do something, just watch, with 〜て みせる, to give the one reason that outweighs the rest with 何しろ, and to single out the best of several with とりわけ. It is October, and Lisa is on a business trip to Seoul, where she has dinner with Minju, face to face for the first time since Minju left Japan.
By the end you will be able to say
学生ならいざしらず、社会人は 時間を 守らなければ なりません。A student might be another matter, but a working adult has to be on time.
絶対に 一人前に なって みせます。I'll become a real professional, just watch.
何しろ、チームで 日本語が できるのは 私 一人なんです。You see, I'm the only one on my team who speaks Japanese.
ここは 何でも おいしいけど、とりわけ スープが 有名です。Everything here is good, but the soup is famous above all.
次の 交渉では、もっと 上手に 通訳して みせます。At the next negotiation, I'll interpret better, you'll see.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜ならいざしらず / 〜はいざしらず — X might be another matter, but — Noun + ならいざしらず (or はいざしらず) sets aside a case where something could be excused, and says the case at hand is different.
- 〜て みせる — I'll show you; I'll do it, just watch — A verb's て-form + みせる says you are set on doing something and proving it, or that you do it to show someone how.
- 何しろ — you see; after all (the reason that outweighs the rest) — 何しろ puts forward the one reason that explains everything, often with から or ので at the end.
- とりわけ — especially; above all — とりわけ singles out one of several things that share a quality and says it has the most of it.